


First Kiss

by Zenith931



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-03 19:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12153531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenith931/pseuds/Zenith931
Summary: The beginning of the flirting between my Inquisitor and Cullen





	First Kiss

They had been going back and forth for weeks, it seemed, ever since Haven, when she flirted with him and got a stammering mess in return. She thought it was hilarious, at first. Aren had been taught that to be uncomposed and caught unawares was a mortal sin in the Game. Always she kept her expressions fixed, her eyes quick, and her tongue quicker. So to see a man so reduced to stammering at a simple flirt was hilarious; it was a novel sight to her. And the blushing! Even more of a humorous spectacle!

It didn't stay a playful diversion, though. She had intended it to be nothing serious, because what does she ever take seriously? She intended that she wouldn't let anything else reach her. She showed her emotions to Cassandra when Aren finally accepted that everyone at the Temple was gone -- especially the Revered Mother. Aren had vowed that was the last time her emotions would be shown. But then the Envy demon had cracked her shell open like a fragile egg. Shell-shock held her somewhat together until Haven until she could hide herself away in her cabin.

Then Cullen came and knocked on her door, took her in his arms and consoled her. They spent a few hours commiserating about the horrors of demons, the poison they leached into your minds, and the difficulties of seeing good people die. She had been committed to drinking herself into a stupor, but his hands had stopped her and somehow she just let the horrors the demon had spun upon her all out. The trauma in her had been seen the trauma in him and like attracted like.

It never was the same after that. Sidelong glances, meaningful stares. The separation at Haven's destruction she could tell disturbed him. She awoke after trudging through a blizzard like an idiotic fool in the refugee camp with his cloak around her. 

Everyone knew, or she thought everyone did. Cassandra, Dorian and Varric definitely knew. The rest likely either didn't know or played blissfully unaware. Cassandra didn't say anything, but gave Aren pointed looks whenever Cullen's eye caught hers across Skyhold. Varric stayed silent, but had knowing glances anytime a meeting of the advisors adjourned and Aren and Cullen exited together. 

Dorian finally plied Aren with enough alcohol to approach the commander. "As a mage, I'm concerned about the amount of electricity between you. Do the rest of us a favor and kiss that man already before the rest of us murder you in your sleep."

Aren had promised to Dorian that she would. He set up a game of chess with the commander. When she arrived, Dorian had the craziest grin on his face when he left the two of them together. Cullen and Aren flirted over the entire game, she cheated, he caught her, and she was going to make her move... and then their conversation turned to levity, time got away from them, and next thing she knew, she had to leave for a meeting with Leliana.

When Dorian found out the arranged meeting had been left without consummation, he threatened to use a "love spell" on her. Of course, Aren knew nothing about magic. She knew that "love spells" were never anything she had heard of, but Tevinters used forbidden forms of magic, so perhaps that was something that he actually did know. Despite the threats, Aren left for the Western Approach and the flirting just resumed by letter. 

Aren and her team had been trudging through the desert when a unique plant caught her eye. She crouched down next to it and pulled out a small book about herbs in an attempt to identify it. 

Dorian stopped along side her. "It's amrita vein." He paused and then picked a few leaves from the plant and carefully put them in his pouch. Aren gave him a quizzical look and began flipping through her book. Dorian interrupted, "It's used in some resistance potions, lyrium potions, and is a useful reagent in romance spells..." The mage lifted an eyebrow at Aren.

Cassandra's eyes rolled hard enough that she just turned and walked away with a disgusted sigh. 

"I don't see it in the book," Aren plied cautiously.

"No? I'm hardly surprised. It's a Tevinter secret, though." Dorian responded.

Aren eyed him suspiciously, then stood stiffly and proceeded on without another word.

 

_______________  
They arrived in Skyhold a week later. The advisors were convened to hear Aren's report and when the dragon slaying was mentioned, Cullen's tone abruptly shifted. His pointed questioning increased until Leliana adjourned the meeting with a promise to reconvene later.

Cullen had stormed out and Aren followed him, "Do you have some attachment to dragons?"

Cullen sputtered, "No."

"Then what was that entire scene in the war room about?"

Cullen proceeded through Solas' atrium to the bridge towards his office, "Do you ever take into consideration your own safety before you do things?"

Aren's face scrunched up in absurd confusion, "No. Why would I do that?"

"You're the leader of this entire force. This Inquisition, the army, all of these people wouldn't be here if it weren't for you! If you weren't around, not only would this entire fight be lost, this whole organization would crumble. It is my job to protect you and I can't do that if you're cavorting off to chase dragons!" His voice rose into a volume just under a shout.

"Your job is to command our forces. I can protect myself." Aren replied.

"You don't seem to have any interest in your own safety if you're dragon hunting!" Cullen yelled as he entered his office.

Aren paused in the doorway with a peculiar expression, "That's not just it..."

"What?"

"There's more to this than you're upset about."

"You're telling me that I'm not actually angry about you risking your life in a dragon fight?" Cullen asked incredulously.

"No. You're angry about that, but you're angry about it for a different reason than the Inquisition." Aren pried.

"I'm angry because all of this and all of my work could be meaningless if you died!" The commander shouted, putting the righteous anger back around him like some sort of shield against her prying.

Aren shook her head and turned to leave. She could hear the frustration building until Cullen's voice broke the silence quietly. "I'm upset because I care about you."

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, then she left.

____

Aren's head had swarmed with emotions and thoughts. Suddenly all the playing and flirting had come to a head. She couldn't play the Game with this situation. She had before. She had toyed with men's emotions and felt nothing before for whatever job needed to be completed. But the one issue that separated every past occurrence from this one were her own emotions. She hated this feeling, she hated feeling. She wished she could be unfeeling and as cold as she fantasized, but her own heart beleaguered her. 

She paced in her room for an hour, weighing options in her head. Everything before didn't matter. The flirting, the meaningful glances, the gifts were all nothing because she could pretend they were a game or something that was meaningless. But he had uttered that phrase like some incantation against her and made it all real. She could pretend, if she wanted. She could lock her emotions away in their tiny box like she had done before, but to that would injure him and she knew it. She hated that prospect.

_______

Cullen had been working in his office. He had flinched when Aren left as if she had physically struck him. She toyed around with everything and the moment that he had tried to indicate that he didn't want to play with emotions anymore, she had left. It had injured him. He had been working in a halfhearted attempt to distract his mind.

His door opened and he looked up, hoping for a report to distract him. Aren entered and he froze. She didn't miss a step and stated firmly, "We need to talk." Cullen had remained frozen in space when she continued on past him towards the door to the battlements. She paused midstep, "Alone..."

He followed after as if on a lead and he was compelled by some invisible force. They walked in silence for a moment, the sun beating down upon him, warming his skin. 

He felt some odd pressure and started stammering about the weather. "It's a nice day." Aren cast him a look like he was insane. Cullen paused, then caved into the obvious, "Was there a reason you wished to talk to me?"

Aren leaned against the stone wall. She had the quiet ease of determination in her movements and a little grin played on her expression. "Surely not about the weather. Do you not know?"

"I can't say I haven't wondered what I would say to you in this situation." He sighed, letting down his efforts of trying to stay official.

Aren's eyes narrowed a bit, "What's stopping you?"

"You're the Inquisitor... and we're at war... I didn't think it was possible."

Her eyebrow quirked a bit, "Yet I'm still here."

He approached her slowly, as if he was judging the aura around her for hesitation or refusal. "So you are. It seems too much to ask but I want to..." He leaned in and he could feel the warmth around her, the smell of spice from her hair, the smell of her breath...

"Commander!" A voice behind him beckoned. He turned quickly to see a soldier with his eyes buried in a report. "Commander! I have sister Leliana's report."

Cullen's voice was like a weapon, the sound of it like grating on a stone in restrained annoyance. "What." It was a command, not a question.

The tone of voice stopped the soldier in his place, he continued meekly, "Sister Leliana's report... you said you wanted it straight away..." 

The commander's eyes bored swords into the solider's and he looked around, he caught the Inquisitor's eyes which seemed to utter, *You poor, foolish man. Leave now, while you can...* 

The solder backed up and blurted, "Or... on your desk!" He left with haste.

"Foolish man," Aren muttered and Cullen didn't have an opportunity to think if she meant him or the solider before his lips collided with hers.

For a long moment, they stood together, he was lost in the sensations around him before the gnawing sense of propriety pulled him back. "I'm sorry. That was, ah... really nice."

"That's what I wanted." She replied with satisfaction.

"Oh. Good." And then he kissed her again.


End file.
